Faeries and Forgetting
by Nabari
Summary: Scott decides that he finally wants independence from his brother, but Arthur finds it more difficult to deal with than expected.


**Hii! This is the first fanfiction I've written in a while so...yeah! :D It's pretty much a one-shot about Arthurs response if Scotland's people voted for independence.**

**I love both Scott and Arthur and I really wanted to do a fanfiction with both of them and I hope I've portrayed them decently enough... *fingers crossed***

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><p>Emerald green eyes fixated on the swirling liquid that had just been poured into the white china teacup. His grip tightened on the delicate handle but he made no move to drink.<p>

It shouldn't make a difference. He should be used to it by now. They all ended up leaving, so what if he was gone too?

When it had been mentioned at the meeting he'd simply shrugged his shoulders. Told them to stop asking him questions...he wasn't his problem anymore. Alfred had laughed and patted his shoulder, proclaiming that his brother was a jerk and it was great that he was finally getting rid of him. Arthur had just nodded in agreement. He supposed that it should be true. Scott had always made life difficult for him. They'd fought more times than he could count.

The other nations had never understood his relationship with his brothers, but it had always been them for as long as he could remember. He'd thought that when they had formed the United Kingdom things were going to be better. He had thought that they would finally be able to work together, instead of just arguing all the time. Well...at least some of the time anyway. It had worked for a while but he'd know that Scott had never really been happy with it, he'd always wanted his independence, that was just what he was like.

He'd still tried though.

He'd still chased after him even when he knew it was too late...

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><p>Arthur ignored the blustering winds that felt like bitterly sharp against his skin. He ignored the aching in his legs as he ran up the hill. As he pushed himself onward he could see that shock of red hair coming closer and closer into view. When he was only a few metres away he could see the smoke faintly rising from the red hot cigarette, before it was blowing away in a strong gust of wind.<p>

Was that wanker never going to turn round?

Finally coming into earshot (in this weather you had to be pretty close to be heard) he halted to an abrupt stop, arms resting against his knees as he attempted to gulp a few breaths of air. He didn't know why he'd ran all the way up here. Nothing he could say would make a difference...but he just had to. He couldn't silently let his brother walk away.

"You can't leave!" Arthur shouted at the back of the still walking Scot, his voice barely carried but he knew he'd heard him. The older male had halted in his steps, his body stiffening for a moment in what he could only assume was annoyance. Did he not understand that he was changing everything?

"Why not? I can do what I want." Scott turned around, idly blowing a puff of smoke from between his parted lips as he glared at his younger brother.

"Because..."

"Because what? Because you don't want me to? This isn't your choice." Scott's words interrupted his as he faltered for what to say. He had wanted to say that it was economically, politically, socially beneficial for them to stay together. He wanted to argue that it was in both their people's best interest. But he didn't.

"Because you're my big brother!" Arthur inwardly cursed himself as the words came out. He sounded like a little kid again. The little kid that would cry when big brother Scotland would go away and only stop when he came back and told him one more story about unicorns and mermaids. Despite being one of the older nations, his brother always managed to make him feel like a child again. "You of all people shouldn't leave me!"

"We're not kids anymore Artie. I can't just tell you a story and make everything better."

God he hated that nickname, was he purposely trying to annoy him at a time like this?

"Arthur, my name's Arthur you bloody wanker!" Completely loosing his train of thought, Arthur's unique eyebrows narrowed in irritation.

Scott let the corner of his lips turn up into a smirk, before taking another drag from his cigarette. That was an expression he knew well. It was one his brother would pull when he knew his taunts were working.

No! He wasn't going to let himself be distracted by it.

"You promised that you'd always come back..." When the stories had been finished and Scott _really_ had to leave, Arthur had always made him swear to come back. Swear that he wouldn't leave him by himself for too long and that he'd beat up Francis the next time he came round...at least he could do the latter for himself now.

"That was a long time ago and this is just something I need to do. I can't be controlled by someone else anymore." He could tell that the redheaded male was getting impatient with him, that he didn't want to stand here in the cold arguing the same argument for umpteenth time. This time he had won. Arthur's fingers curled into a tightened fist as he stared at the rough ground below his feet. Any other time he would have just punched the idiot, but he just couldn't bring himself to now.

"Fine, do what you want! I don't know why I put up with a wanker like you for so long anyway!" That was it. There was nothing else he could do, nothing else he could say. Arthur was tired of running after those he had left him. He just wanted to go home and forget.

A strong grip tightened around his upper arm as he turned to walk back down the hillside. Without looking up, he pulled against it but Scott only tightened his hold.

"Let go of me!"

"No."

"Why do you always have to be such a jerk Scott? You can't even let me storm off in peace."

"And miss out on all the fun?" Scott had dropped his cigarette on the ground and was putting it out with the back of his heel as his gaze fixated on the smaller blonde nation.

"Bloody idiot, does this look like fun to you?" Arthur managed to prise his arm out of Scotts grasp, nearly stumbling backwards as he stepped away. Chest moving in and out rapidly, he turned away from his brother and began to hurry back down the steep slope.

It was only now that he noticed how cold he was and he wrapped his coat more tightly about his body as he walked, nestling his chin into the knitted scarf that he wore about his neck. At least he could see the small village where he'd asked the car to wait.

"...You know, I'll still be your brother."

He had barely heard Scott utter the words but he knew they'd been said. Arthur continued walking, not stopping to reply. He couldn't bring himself to turn and see if Scott was telling the truth, or if he was simply taunting him again.

It was better not to know.

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><p>Arthur shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts away. His mind had strayed and he hadn't even realised that his tea had gone cold. Putting the cup down in it's saucer, he leant back in his chair. A gentle breeze strayed through the open window, causing the corner of the tablecloth to be wafted around momentarily. It was starting to rain and the tinny echo of water hitting the inside of a watering can could be clearly heard.<p>

The island nation didn't notice any of this.

A single teardrop fell. He wiped it away before even the faeries would notice.

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><p><strong>I hope the transition from present to past was clear enough. Review please and thank yooooou~<strong>


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